Winds of Sorrow
by Aeleus
Summary: It took a death to finally make the reclusive Sasuke finally realise how much the hyperactive blonde meant to him. For so long he had denied Naruto's existance only to find he would miss it when it was gone.
1. Orange Petals

**"**Speech**"**

_"__Thought"_

* * *

Chapter 1: Orange Petals

A harsh wind encircled the silent village in the midst of mourning, the whisper upon the winds the only thing bugging the crestfallen shinobi who had collected together earlier in the morning. Of course not everyone was there but not due to mission commitments, after all, who would come to the demon child's funeral? Only a handful of characters had arrived to commemorate the young male's life, the people who had spent their time close to the fallen, shedding a pearl tear each time they think back upon his mischievous antics. They all knew Naruto was always a bit dim-witted; especially when it came to others but he still had a brilliant mind for battle strategies when everything appeared to be lost, igniting more hope amongst his comrades as he reassured them they would all be okay.

That's what he said on the last mission.

Naruto had lied to them that day, everything would not be okay. In fact, things would become the pinnacle of sorrow for many who loved him for his optimistic personality and raw determination, especially now he was gone. It was obvious he would never be fully free, not with the Kyuubi sealed inside him and Akatsuki fast on his trail seeking to control it- it didn't seem fair. It never did. He was orphaned at birth, sealed into a fate of perpetual hate by his fellow villager's hands and now his life had ended. However amongst all the grieving each shinobi felt for their fallen friend they all knew that if Naruto was there, he would merely shrug it off and tell people to move on, not wanting anyone's life to be ruined because of him.

As the funeral began celebrating and acknowledging his life, one by one the couple of dozen ninja began to make their way one by one towards the open casket containing Naruto, each pausing for a moment to blink as if they believed it was merely illusion, but then soon realising it was real and placed their flower upon the body with a silent prayer before moving on. After eight or so fond wishes to their fallen comrade in the afterlife came Sasuke, the ninja that was in a sense both his eternal rival, but also his best friend. As he blinked back the tears beginning to form within the corners of his stone grey eyes he noted how Naruto looked as if he was only sleeping, ready to jump up and yell "Got you!" before laughing and running off, relishing the look on all their faces. Of course that wouldn't happen, no matter how much Sasuke pleaded with the Gods.

"_Wake up you dobe! You can't just pretend you're dead for the fun of it! Come on Naruto. Wake up! Please…"_

It wasn't long until Sasuke crumpled onto the side of the casket, his head burrowed upon the furrow of his arm allowing the tears he had tried hard to keep back fall, echoing the light shower that dropped from the sky.

"_Even the sky is crying for him…it's just like with Haku. Just like the snow."_

Kakashi was soon there to wrench the ninja away from his friend- his best friend, struggling against the wild antics the shinobi tried as he screamed to stay close to Naruto, the flower that had been clasped in his hand falling from his grasp upon the body landing just where his heart would have been. The petals the flower bore were of a brilliant orange- the trademark colour of the optimistic ninja. They were chosen specifically for him, wanting to make it just that bit more special in the flood of ceremonial black that everyone who attended wore. Just as Sasuke's flower found its own final resting place across Naruto's chest he felt his legs buckle underneath him, his sobs screaming to the heavens why they took his friend, why they took the only person who ever understood him.

"Sasuke…"

The comforting hand upon the ninja's shoulder was quickly swatted away as the crying protests died down to a sorrowed murmur, each of the others who had gathered harbouring a downhearted look in their eyes towards the male. Even the pink-haired female who usually held a constant admiration for the Uchiha wasn't allowed near, despite being one of the few people he trusted. He couldn't handle it. His friend was dead- and it was all his fault.

As the funeral came to a close and the casket containing Naruto had been hidden from view under the earth the mourning shinobi began to filter from the grave, each paying their last respects before leaving, their heavy hearts kept lifted only by their feet. Hinata had to be supported by her cousin Neji on the way home, this being one of the first times when the cousin didn't feel hatred for the heiress. They were all in this together. The rest of Team Eight followed numbly after the pair, with Shikamaru reaching up to the white and brown furred creature nestled upon his head, comforting the creature as it whimpered. Shino still maintained his silence, but it could be felt that the sadness had affected him as well. What was left of Team Guy headed off as well after Lee gave his famous smile towards the grave albeit if it were more solemn at the occasion, putting a reassuring arm around TenTen's shoulders as their sensei did the same on the other side, both staying strong to keep the kunoichi upright. The sand siblings followed soon after, Gaara giving a softer version of his usual blank gaze when it crossed the etched stone marker depicting the grave, his own way of paying respect. Tsunade had to be shepherded back to Hokage Tower with both Jiraiya and Shizune pulling at her arms, with once or twice having to suddenly grab her as the female sannin suddenly sagged in their grasp, overcome with the death of her little 'brother'. The fallen's former academy teacher stood motionlessly as he stared at the gravestone, quite not believing the last piece of his family was gone. Iruka always viewed Naruto as full of life, so to see him like this- to see him dead, was unnatural. He was soon snapped back to reality by Kakashi from a gentle shake upon his shoulder, giving a weak smile before following in the path of the others.

After a while only the original Team Seven remained as the rain continued overhead; drenching those who were left to the bone, their ceremonial black clothes sticking to their skin, each ignoring the shiver that had begun to creep up on them. It didn't matter- their comrade was gone, and they would never get him back. It was only when Sakura collapsed into their sensei with fresh streams of water finding their way down the usual tracks in her cheeks did Sasuke stir from his unmoving position, his head following a flurry of orange petals dancing within the air directly above where Naruto was buried, entranced by the unusual dance they performed. His fellow team mate soon turned to mimic his action with their teacher soon following suit, the tears silenced as they each watched the flower tribute swirl above them. Only after a while did Kakashi dare speaking, the single eye watching them the same as his students.

"Looks like Naruto wants to say not to worry."

It was a lone silence after that until either of the students piped up, the moment when they had both chosen to speak being in unison, each speaking the same word to the breeze in a wish that they would make it to him.

"Naruto."

* * *

**A/N:** This is my first time writing a fanfic of any sort, so any reviews would be greatly welcomed. This just sort of came into my head one day so I had to write it somewhere.

**Disclaimer:** Naruto or anything affiliated with it doesn't belong to me. I'm no where near that good.


	2. Equal Intentions

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or anything that comes along with it otherwise I probably would have killed off Sasuke long ago, or at least stopped him from being such an arrogant ass. **

* * *

**"**Speech**"**

_"__Thought"_

_**"Kyuubi thoughts"**_

* * *

**(A few months before the funeral)**

This is set after Sasuke witnessed Itachi's death.

* * *

Chapter 2: Equal Intentions

The familiar sounds of two shinobi fighting were apparent from the clashing noises of two kunai meeting in battle and the fact that the ground almost seemed to tremble all across Konoha. This could only mean one of two things; either they were under attack, or Sasuke and Naruto were at it again.

It was centred within a training ground surrounded by a cluster of trees as a form of protection, but that didn't amount to much when these two were flying shurikan, kunai, jutsus and whatever else they had in their arsenal at each other. The normal spectators were there- namely Sakura and Kakashi who were team mate and sensei respectively. They also both knew that when these two went at it they wouldn't stop until the finishing blows were made, and luckily that came just at that moment- all they had to do was be ready to catch.

"Chidori!"

"Rasengan!"

Upon the left side the shinobi swathed in white and black held what only could be called as a sphere of lightning, with every so often a single spark breaking away from the rest. Along with the spectacle that was this lightning technique came the undeniable sound of thousands of birds calling in unison; the call soon exceeding screeching heights where the name for this particular jutsu had come from. However while his opponent's attack may hold the same spherical property that was where the similarities ended since the light blue revolving ball emitted next to no sound at all, being of a smooth edge where the other splintered. Seeing these techniques was not what they were interested in- it was the next part.

As the two jutsus met a large explosion occurred and the pair was engulfed in a brilliant light, even extending to the ninja laying in wait, knowing exactly what was going to happen. It was when two shadows became visible through the smoke and were rushing towards the trees at an alarming speed did they set out for the targets; Sakura for Sasuke and Kakashi for Naruto. When they last stopped counting how many times this happened it was at 57, then just losing it after that, especially when they begun to get more frequent. Once caught the two unconscious shinobi were placed side by side in the center of the desecrated training ground, a mere shadow of what it used to be. Now it was all about the wait.

"Dobe…"

"Baka…"

This was how it ended every single time. The two blows connected and blasted the two into whatever object was closest and in turn meant both Kakashi and Sakura went through catching practice again. Once the two males regained consciousness they would utter the same two words before sitting up, Naruto slowly healing his own wounds due to the Kyuubi's chakra while Sasuke received medical help from his pink-haired team mate. Then they would both get a rather hefty punch courtesy of Sakura and be almost knocked out again before receiving the same lecture about how they were both being stupid before setting out to Naruto's favourite place of all: Ichiraku.

* * *

"''Fanks Kakashi-Sensei!"

The smile Kakashi beamed at the yellow-spiked student was in response to the gratitude although he couldn't help but feel slightly worried when he noticed the eighth bowl of ramen Naruto had got through, and then severely downhearted for how much it was going to cost him when he ordered his tenth. However when the bill was paid and a very contented Naruto stepped out patting his belly he guessed it was worth it, especially after all his students had been through lately.

"_Let's just hope Naruto sticks to ramen and not to trouble like he usually does!"_

There usually wasn't a time period of more than five minutes of peace before his thoughts trailed back to a fight that both his former students had participated in, each blow aimed at full strength with nothing being held back. However this wasn't his two students against an enemy- it was the pair against each other, and worse of all, half of it he couldn't remember, only able to remember the last ruthless attack that threatened to put an end to it all before circumstances arose that stopped the fight abruptly.

"Eh? Kakashi-sensei, what are you thinking about?"

His trail of thought was quickly shattered as he suddenly snapped himself out of reminiscing, his uncovered eye travelling down his arm to find the blonde tugging at the sleeve of his jounin overcoat. Kakashi quickly raised his hand to run through his ruffled silver hair with a sheepish grin on his face, or at least what they could determine from the emotion in his eye before pushing aside Naruto's hand and answering the question arisen.

"Just about my book- which reminds me, I have some catching up to do, so I'll see you lot later."

When the small cloud of smoke dissipated to leave no trace of the Konoha ninja behind the curious trio all sighed in unison, once again abandoned by their rather lazy former-sensei. They all glanced at each other as they all thought the same thing, Naruto being the one to suggest it in words, but in ones that were far from flattering.

"He's probably going to read one of his books. He's a pervert just like Ero-Sennin."

The fist that collided with his face knocked the unsuspecting shinobi clean off his feet and straight through the wall of the nearby building, surprising the customers inhabiting inside before scrambling from their stools in the bar and running off having glanced at the murderous glare in the pink-haired kunoichi's eyes. It probably rivalled the Kyuubi's malicious aura as the villagers fled from the female, those who risked peering out their windows feeling quite sorry for the blonde who had been on the receiving end of the last attack.

"Sakura-chan! What was that for?"

His voice came out as a tiny puppy's whimper, all the while rubbing the angry violet patch blossoming upon his face. However he was soon finding that the quiet whimper had been reduced to complete silence, his eyes wide as he felt Sakura winding herself up for another lunge at the Uzumaki, quickly darting out of the way just in time as the chakra-influence punch sailed past his cheek.

"That's our sensei baka! You can't go around calling people things like that, and if I have to knock you senseless for you to finally realise it, then so be it!"

Despite his quick reaction allowing him to divert the previous attempt it unfortunately didn't stop the third from connecting, and in a few seconds he had gone from wide-eyed 'moose in headlights' to knocked out ninja, unconscious on the floor with the villagers hiding in their homes now etching a mental note upon the brains never to cross this girl and have to feel her wrath. Even Sasuke couldn't help wincing as the climax of this one-sided battle occurred, knowing that the ramen-obsessed individual upon the floor would be out cold at least for the next hour or so, even with the Kyuubi in the wings ready to heal the male. His feelings were only amplified as his terror-inducing team mate grabbed onto the collar of the Uzumaki and dragged him along with her to her destination, the glare she shot back at the innocent Uchiha chilling him to the bone.

"Come on Sasuke. We're going to see Kakashi-sensei."

* * *

Kakashi's quick disappearance from the Ramen stand resulted in the ninja resting upon the same lone stump that his former students had performed his infamous bell test; Sakura and Naruto having done it twice. He had considered making the last team mate to do it again after his arrival back to the village but had since decided against it, unable to clear his mind for some time now because of the same recurring memory that plagued his very thoughts. However even now he wasn't allowed any time alone as he saw the trio he had just left quickly approaching him- the concern kicking in as he noticed a very meek Sasuke trailing after a clearly enraged Sakura, Naruto dragged across the floor by her hand.

"What happened to him?"

His question lingered for a while in the air as he glanced from the pair of standing ninja, knowing that something had to have happened to have made both Sakura this mad and Sasuke this quiet. It was only when the Uchiha shuffled slowly to the jounin's side that all was made clear, the three whispered words all he needed to fully understand the situation.

"Sakura did it."

* * *

**A/N:** I decided to post this chapter after finally writing it to a length I didn't mind submitted but also I wanted to point out it wasn't a one-chapter story about Naruto dying. (That's just a bit to morbid for me)

The next chapter has already been finished, but I don't want to post it now since I may get a bit preoccupied and not finish the chapter in good time, so i'll just spread out the wait amongst the story.


	3. A Past Encounter

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or anything that comes along with it otherwise I probably would have killed off Sasuke long ago, or at least stopped him from being such an arrogant ass. **

* * *

**"**Speech**"**

_"__Thought"_

_**"Kyuubi thoughts"**_

* * *

**(Further into the past, around six months before the funeral)**

* * *

Chapter 3: Past Memories

With Sakura consumed in her sorrow as she realised she couldn't help a tearful gaze was directed at Naruto, knowing he was the only one who could do anything. Sasuke had gone mad- he was almost as destructive as the Kyuubi when its chakra became channelled through its host, causing a number of tails to appear and a 'demon cloak' to envelop what was a hyperactive, always optimistic child and mould him into a miniature demonic version of the great nine-tailed fox that almost destroyed Konoha- although he hoped he wouldn't have to call on that very power in order to take down his opponent- no, his friend.

"Sakura-chan, stay back. Whatever happens, I promise I'll bring him back. Just stay with Kakashi-Sensei."

A dumbfounded nod then Sakura scrambled from her usual spot of staring at the discoloured mass that was Sasuke and returned to the unconscious body of their teacher, an emerald haze covering her hands as she placed it on a deep gash upon his left shoulder. Of course not wanting to let down his students Kakashi had entered the confrontation without the help of either Naruto or Sakura, and in turn wound up with numerous cuts ranging from flesh to deep and a few broken ribs from an impact with a tree after he had been forced to propel himself back with an exploding tag in order to get away from the familiar lightning gathered in Sasuke's hand.

"_Be careful Naruto-kun! Don't do anything stupid!"_

The thought was only amplified as she saw the demon fox's chakra once again flow freely from the central point in Naruto, immersing the male in a fiery shroud. Sakura instantly saw his skin begin to melt away and then re-grow in equilibrium; the only indication this horrendous act happens being the darkened colour in the chakra, a result of the blood being mixed with it. This advanced healing process came at a terrible price, with each passing second Naruto's life span became shortened vastly, which meant he had to finish off the battle quickly, but to do so he knew he would have to get the fox's co-operation. It was then that he arrived at the familiar place in the back of his mind where the Kyuubi found his residence, trapped behind both bars and seal that prevented him from breaking free and wreaking havoc once more.

"_Kyuubi!"_

"_**What is it Kit? I'm sleeping."**_

"_I need you're help otherwise I won't be able to get Sasuke-kun back."_

"_**Just leave the Uchiha brat; all he's done is hurt you anyway. Unless you would prefer if I took care of him for you…"**_

"_KYUUBI!!"_

"_**What?"**_

"_Sasuke-kun is important to me- to Sakura-chan! I can't let him get killed because he doesn't know what he is doing!"_

"_**Why is he so important to you? Give me a few minutes with him; i'll give him what he wants. I'll show him true power."**_

At this point a malicious grin spread from one side of Kyuubi's face to the other, his sharp teeth glorified in every bared aspect. The blonde who looked miniscule in comaparison stood defiant to the fox's delight, his face emotionless as the seriousness of the situation shone through. It wasn't every day the jinchurriki was seen in this way- it had to take something to push him over the edge and away from his usual optimistic manner.

"_Kyuubi- are you going to help me or not?"_

"…"

"…_?"_

"_**Okay Kit, but only because I know you'll just die if I don't- that kid is still an ass to you though, I don't understand why you want to save the pathetic excuse for a human. Don't call on me next time when you find yourself with him, otherwise i'll kill him, regardless if he is your friend or not."**_

"…_thanks Kyuubi."_

The dank sewer that contained Kyuubi disappeared as Naruto ended his conversation with the demon fox inside him, now glaring at Sasuke through scarlet slits, his pointy hair now more jagged and his whiskers more prominent all the while the chakra around him pulsated of its own accord, but keeping to the outline of the fox shape, three tails flaring up behind him.

"Kyuubi no Kitsune? Naruto, you're still using that old trick?"

The cynical voice uttered from the Uchiha's lips caused Naruto's body to suddenly tense, his fiery red eyes seeking out the tone cold of his friend's. Sasuke was almost indistinguishable from the vast length of time the pair had been apart; the tanned skin of normality tainted with a pale white, the black eyes that could usually be scoured for a small sign of compassion and determination now completly extinguished, leaving behind two lifeless black orbs. With his appearance changing it seemed that the Uchiha Sasuke that Naruto knew from Konoha was fading fast, and he knew it.

A nostalgic feeling washed over the pair as the miniature Kitsune growled out the next words, the hint of rage dominating the usually happy tone of his voice.

"I'm going to bring you back- even if I have to break your arms and legs to do it!"

As soon as the determined words died the Kitsune charged at the sneering shinobi with his Kyuubi-influenced claws outstretched, the scarlet slits unmoving even as the body they were contained in zigzagged across their selected battlefield. The kekkei genkai of the Uchiha immediately flared into action as his opponent approached, the three tomae of each eye tracking the boy with ease. He pushed aside the claws as they lunged for his torso, knocking the wrist sharply before retaliating with a swinging kick to the back of the blonde's head, effectively knocking him into the watery depths of their battlefield below.

"Naruto- do you know where we are?"

The shadow that depicted Naruto's rise to the surface grew larger with each passing moment until a clawed hand broke the water's surface, the owner of such a hand manipulating the chakra in their body in order to get a grip upon the liquid surface before heaving himself upon it as if it were the same density as earth. However this was no surprise to any trained shinobi now standing upon the waters. A look of surprise was dedicated to the unanswered question spoken by the Uchiha, his eyes wide as they finally realised where they were.

The Valley of the End.

* * *

**A/N** I'm not the best at battle scene (heck, it's the first time I ever have wrote one) so you're going to have to forgive me about that. Chapter 4 will be quite long I should think- longer than this one anyway, and I'm about three-quarters of the way through it so I'll post it as soon as I'm done.


	4. Chidori's Call

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or anything that comes along with it otherwise I probably would have killed off Sasuke long ago, or at least stopped him from being such an arrogant ass. **

* * *

**"**Speech**"**

_"__Thought"_

_**"Kyuubi thoughts"**_

* * *

Chapter 4: Chidori's Call

Memories of their last encounter in these same surroundings flooded back to the fox boy's mind in quick succession, reiterating how they had danced the same battle now as the time before.

"It's been a long time since then hasn't it?"

The words echoed in the back of Naruto's mind as he remembered how long it had actually been, how long it had taken for another meeting between the two to finally take place after believing they had lost their former comrade forever to the clutches of Orochimaru, their hopes only slightly lifted when they heard of the snake-summoner's death to only be further crushed when they realised his return was not inevitable, not even after the accomplishment of his clan's revenge.

"I still haven't forgotten my promise to Sakura-chan."

At this point Sasuke looked down upon the Kitsune with a mild interest, not actually having known the promise contracted between the pair. He knew that Sakura probably asked Naruto to bring him back to Konoha but he decided to leave it to speculation, instead listening to the elaboration he was sure he was going to receive.

"I promised Sakura-chan I would bring you back. I don't break my promises- if I have to force you to come back then I will."

Rearing himself up for another attack Naruto overlapped his fingers to form the classic seal of one of his signature jutsus- Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. After a few minute moments shadow replications littered the vast expense of the valley, covering almost every available surface except for a five-foot radius around their opponent. It was an impressive sight for anyone who hadn't seen this high level of chakra display before, especially when at least a hundred if not more of the Kitsunes now opposed the Uchiha, who merely fell into a fighting stance, the silver brilliance that was his katana unsheathed by his side resting horizontal to his body.

Even as the Kyuubi began to spread its red-hot rage throughout its container's body the illusion of the fierce scarlet eyes could not deny the presence of emptiness that the male felt- the guilt that he couldn't fulfil his promise fuelling the determination that caused him to carry on and bring home the missing-nin. However as thought this shinobi dance was just like the time before- his opponent once again able to push back his advances.

The Uchiha's body was almost lost amongst the smoke that amounted around him as the each clone the blonde had created disappeared in a white cloud, what started as nearly a hundred clones reduced to pitiful numbers in only a few moments. Each movement that was made was perfectly executed and had none left to waste; each action having their own purpose in the battle. It was only after he thrust the blade clean through the last clone that he realised the real Naruto had slipped from his superior eyes- the tomae of his sharingan spinning at rapid speeds as he scanned the landscape for any trace of movement that the demonic Kitsune made.

The usually silent Sasuke couldn't stop himself from uttering a small cry as something suddenly wrapped itself around his ankles, forcing him under the water despite the chakra upon the soles of his feet straining to keep him above. It was only when he jerked his head down that he realised the reason for his submersion- his favourite hyperactive jinchuriki, home to the Kyuubi no Kitsune.

The battle ensued even with their new underwater surroundings, each charging towards the other with a speed akin to as if it were on solid ground, kunai and katana striking each other in the midst of a bubble storm. Each weapon the two shinobi wielded were unlike any other, being of unique metal which allowed the user to channel their chakra through the blade or kunai to reinforce the sharpened edge, making it possible to slice through liquids or even the air within the pair's hands- if they were any around at that time that is.

Even though they had been trained to have a higher endurance in certain situations to their untrained kin it didn't stop the fact that they were still human- in Naruto's case human in body and partially in mind- and humans needed oxygen to live. However the first to break the surface was surprising, for it was the ebony-haired that sought out the vital necessity first, his normally 'I-won't-let-the-dobe-win' attitude (this included anything from spars to the rock, paper, scissors game favoured by Gai and Kakashi) unable to ignore the burning sensation coating his insides from the depravation of air. He was only left a few breaths before his bloodline limit directed his attention to the river bed, a tailed shadow quickly advancing upon his position, the three tails rotating behind them as some sort of driving system, mimicking the propellers upon the back of boats to make his way through the water at an impressive speed.

'_Shit…he's coming up too fast."_

Sasuke immediately sprang from the water's surface and into the air with a slight exertion of his chakra to his hands and feet, the water droplets fleeing from their temporary home back into the pool of water as he climbed further into the air. This effort though did not spare him from the clutches of the Kitsune's cloak; the scarlet chakra grasping upon his leg as if it were clutched by a hand, swinging him into the wall nearby with full force, a crater formed by the male's impact. Soon after the perpetrator of the attack crawled from underneath the water, standing defiant upon the rippling waves as he glared after the Uchiha.

'_He's gotten stronger than last time- but I'm still going to be the one who wins."_

"Hey, Naruto."

The miniature Kitsune's eyes narrowed upon his target as they began to dislodge themselves from the rock, uncaring for the various cuts and bruises painted across his body from the impact. A familiar sound disrupted the silence- the sounds of thousands of birds calling in unison, the trademark technique of this particular Uchiha. Yet this time it was different. Instead of the regular action of the lightning sphere forming within his hand it was now crackling down the length of his blade in a continual loop from the hilt to the tip. Before Naruto could react he had already flung the katana through the air, the screech of the air being slit in two by the lightning-infused weapon harmonising with the chirping noises as it advanced quickly upon its target.

"_**This kid is slipping up- there is no way this could hit us."**_

When it came to predicting movements the demon fox was nearly always right and this was no exception. A simple spring backwards a few feet meant that the weapon sailed into the depths below, a feral grin forming upon Naruto's face courtesy of the nine-tails. The voice that came from the Konoha shinobi was almost entirely demonic- only a few traces of his human personality managing to break through the malicious tones.

"Uchiha- you're losing your touch. Do you really expect petty things like that to strike down the great King of all Bijuu?"

An equally demonic laugh followed soon after, the blood-red eyes of the Kyuubi conveying his amusement at the pathetic attack.

"I wasn't aiming for you, Fox."

Not even a second was spared to allow the feral blonde to glance down and see where the blade had lodged itself before a surge of electricity shot through his veins, forcing the unknowing Kitsune to a frozen stance. Each movement he made was rewarded with a sharp pain shredding through the chosen body part, before dying down once more to a light shock until the action was foolishly mimicked again. This paralysis however did not stop the chilling glare the male directed towards the Uchiha, not did it stop him from emitting a killer intent so strong that it even made the distant Sakura feel uncomfortable.

"This ends now Naruto."

The all too familiar lightning chakra began to gather once again in the male's hand, the distinct sound of bird's calling in unison erupting from the raw power, announcing that an end to this dangerous battle was soon to arrive.

As the missing-nin charged towards him in the same time the mini-Kyuubi began to slowly lose the characteristic red aura that made up the demon's cloak until only the jinchuriki remained, the fiery scarlet of his eyes having reverted back to the calming azure blue the blonde was famous for, those same eyes professing a pain that could never be understood by another. It was after a few moments of faltering vision due to the last attack that he submitted to heading their call for rest and closing them, his last image being of the deadly shinobi only a few quick paces away with a murderous look expressed with no remorse.

Only a few minutes before the Chidori first emerged into the assailant's palm the original wielder and teacher of the jutsu awoke, the single weary eye unable to fixate upon a certain thing until they encountered the familiarity of the pink-haired medic-nin checking him over after noticing his arrival back into the world of the conscious. The voice that emerged from his lips sounded aged long beyond his years, the hoarse words he was able to dislodge from his throat quickly silenced by his student's commanding tone- something she had obviously picked up from her tutor, Tsunade, along with her medical prowess and inhuman strength.

"What happ-"

"Ssh! You need to rest right now, otherwise you may do yourself more harm then good. I have managed to heal the worst of it, but you still won't be feeling in peak condition for a while UNLESS YOU REST."

"Humph."

The reply that Sakura received from the silver-haired jounin calmed her fears that he wouldn't try anything stupid and get up, her worries practically non-existent as she noticed him pull an infamous book from his pack- one of the Icha-Icha series that Jiraiya had penned himself while on his various 'research' missions.

'_When is he ever going to pay attention- well, at least he's quiet.'_

With her patient/sensei in a stable condition she turned to the battle that had raged on without her notice, her eyes first taking in the large crater within the rock face before allowing her gaze to travel to the water's center, and see her former crush advancing fast with the very jutsu she had cursed Kakashi for teaching him. Her eyes widened as the gap came ever closer, knowing that this certainly wasn't a friendly fight- it was a fight until one or neither of them were left standing.

'_He's going to kill him…'_

"Naruto-kun! Watch out!"

The disgruntled jounin looked up from his 'colourful' book with a raised eyebrow in surprise to Sakura's antics, his curiosity into what had caused such an outburst causing him to lean slightly to the side in order to see past the female blockade and at what had caused the medic-nin to react in such a way. When he finally realised the reason behind the warning Kakashi realised that perhaps this was one of those times when staying unconscious and oblivious to the events would have been best, wondering if all the years he had spent as Konoha's copy-ninja could ever prepare him for this moment.

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**A/N: **Took a bit longer than I thought to write but it is longer overall so that sort of compensates for it. Sorry for the annoying cut-off point that I chose, but it all becomes resolved (what has happened in A Past Encounter and Chidori's Call) in the next chapter which I will post as soon as possible.

Promise ;)

(Reviewing might push me to get this done quicker, so there's an _incentive!_)


	5. Silence

**A/N:** I updated Chidori's Call when I realised that during Itachi and Sasuke's fight that the curse seal was in fact removed, so it now doesn't have CurseManSasuke in it and now just a cold hearted ass that no one should pay attention to.

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**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or anything that comes along with it otherwise I probably would have killed off Sasuke long ago, or at least stopped him from being such an arrogant ass. **

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**"**Speech**"**

_'__Thought'_

_**"Kyuubi thoughts"**_

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Chapter 5: Silence

"You can't beat me Naruto. You couldn't five years ago and you couldn't now."

A hand containing the dissipating Chidori was ruthlessly ripped from the blonde's body as the victim gave little response to the pain that followed, the only true torture being expressed in his eyes as he stared up helplessly at the sharingan-user. He then mumbled something that made Sasuke suddenly darken- his ears having failed to pick up the barely audible words and instead relying on the lip-reading ability of his eyes, easily able to decipher the message.

"Sorry? You haven't even hurt me dobe."

They were words he would soon regret as he felt an unfamiliar breeze brush against the back of his neck, shuddering at the cold chill it produced as it ran down his spine. As he turned to see the source of the winds only for his gaze to land upon three Naruto clones, two manipulating and moulding the chakra which the third held, revealing it to be none other than the finished Rasengan, _Fūton: Rasenshuriken (lit. Wind Release: Spiralling Shuriken)._

'_Oh shi-'_

Even with the impressive speed he possessed nothing could allow him to avoid the evolved Rasengan from connecting with his body, the edges of the wind shurikan repeatedly thrashing against his defences with ease, soon lifting both the rivals from the water and ironically enough into the towering statues of the co-founders of Konoha; Sasuke meeting his ancestor Uchiha Madara and Naruto with the first Hokage, Senju Hashirama. The impact that occurred from the collision from both parties triggered a chain reaction, large cracks beginning to form in the carved monuments until large chunks of the cliff face began to fall taking the pair with them, the once defiant faces that overlooked the Valley of the End now damaged far from repair.

After the last rocks had settled and the plume of dust followed suit a quiet whimper echoed within the silent valley courtesy of Sakura, the teal orbs filling with tears as she stared out at the mountain of rubble which had supposedly buried her two team mates. Or rather to be accurate, _former_ team mates.

"No…"

Her singles words escaped upon a stunned breath, unable to believe that this was it, that after all the time they had spent chasing Sasuke and bring him back home had resulted not only in death, but death of both her fellow shinobi. All because she couldn't let go- all because she couldn't let go of something that was already clearly lost, instead drawing in an innocent blonde into her own despair and ending his life under her own desperations for her 'crush' to return to Konoha. They were both dead- all because of her.

The seated Kakashi beside her mimicked his student's sorrow with a forlorn expression of his own, his heart already consumed in mourning the loss of the two. The tears within his uncovered eye threatening to escape would have been successful had Sakura not at that moment rushed into his arms at that instant, her head burying itself into his Jounin vest as her own emerald eyes betrayed her and allowed the streams of water to fall.

"It's all my fault…"

After those words the young kunoichi sobbed harder, her tears already having claimed a patch of his vest to absorb the moisture and allowing the Jounin to feel the cold liquid brush against his own skin, the chill that came as a result dampening any reason to try and show happiness for his student's sake. Instead without his knowing he began to sway in a slow rhythmic motion just like a parent would do their child, an array of soothing tones following in an effort to calm the female. To any unknowing onlooker it would have been an impeccable scene of love and comfort between family members, however the particular stranger that watched the events unfold felt different, their strained voice shattering the 'family' moment.

"I kept my promise…Sakura-chan."

Barely able to support the unconscious Uchiha on his side Naruto stood in front of the pair, a gaping wound present upon his right shoulder as an obvious consequence of the Chidori along with other minor injuries from the impact with the cliff face. If the weakening voice didn't sound out again he was sure that both the stunned shinobi would have remained that way instead of quickly taking the dead weight leaning upon his body and resting them aside, giving him the necessary space to finally allow his knees to give way and welcome the ground underneath them. He growled slightly as Sakura now snapped from her frozen state crouched at his side and immediately began examining the state of the damage caused, only to surprise her by grabbing onto her chakra-immersed hands and pushing them away.

"Go tend to Sasuke."

"But Naruto, your wounds…"

"NOW!"

The kunoichi was startled by the command and authorative voice that was used to administer it but heeded it without any question nor the arguments she had building inside her to protest against it, soon abandoning the blonde in order to check upon the saved Uchiha, relieved to find that while he was unconscious his wounds were not life-threatening, not as long as they got back to Konoha soon. Being so consumed in her assessments she didn't notice her injured comrade heave himself to his feet and begin to shuffle away from her, nor did she see the Jounin she had treated before scurrying after them despite the largely uncomfortable feeling that surged through their bandaged chest.

"Naruto, where are you going? You need to get Sakura to look at your shoulder."

His words were more pleading than commanding like the teacher's should be, not really having had enough time to realise that both his students were still alive, and better yet Sasuke had finally been bettered by his rival.

"Don't worry about me Kakashi-sensei- worry about Sasuke. _As always_."

The slightly depressed tone that the male gave in response worried Kakashi, but unbeknownst to him would have been much more if he had actually in fact heard the last two words strung onto the end of that particular statement, instead being left in the depths of curiosity due to Naruto choosing at that point in the sentence to lower his voice to a whisper, leaving him completely in the dark. He would have inquired about it more if his student hadn't managed to already reach the other side of the water and was now tending to his own wounds, watching him for a few moments as he bandaged his wounds wrapping the white material around his injured shoulder before returning to the others with a sigh, resigning to taking the advice given just as Sakura had earlier.

As Kakashi arrived back at Sakura's side he mentally noted that while the medic-nin was heavily concentrating upon healing the last of the Uchiha's wounds there seemed to be a part of her that seemed to be distracted, a sense of doubt and uncertainty delivered in every motion she made. She knew that she had always favoured the ebony-haired shinobi to the blonde and now once she had been faced with the prospect of both of their deaths she realised she couldn't conceal her concern to the male she always rejected. The pair had gotten closer during Sasuke's absence but there were times that Kakashi began to wonder if these bonds still would have been formed if the missing-nin never left to pursue Orochimaru- or it she would have only continued to ignore him. However this was another of those thoughts he had to push back into his mind as the pink-haired female stood, running her hands casually through her hair, a nearing exhaustion hinted at through her voice.

"Where's Naruto-kun? He can't go off on his own, not with those injuries."

She allowed no time to pass as her eyes informed her of Naruto's presence on the opposite side to their group, noting the irony that the first thing to happen was for him to separate from their little group, just like how the villagers of Konoha shunned him and singled him out, not even thinking twice even when he finally became Chuunin, or even Jounin. Regardless of this distressing thought Sakura began to walk upon the water's surface, (the chakra manipulated upon the soles of her feet allowing her to do this) only to find a hand stopping her from progressing to the lone blonde, looking up to see their teacher stopping her in her tracks.

"Leave him be Sakura, he will be heal in time."

Of course the real meaning of this was _'Naruto needed space'_ to which Sakura abided, however this couldn't stop her eyes lingering over the now resting jinchuriki as she returned to the Uchiha's side. She had known all about the Kyuubi no Kitsune for some time now, and with each day she saw the treatment Naruto had to endure by his own village was crushing, not knowing why they don't see past what was sealed inside him and to the true person he really was. The demon fox should have only given him access to an unlimited chakra and rapid regenerative powers due to Yondaime's request that the newborn child acting as a container should be heralded as a hero, but even with this and laws set in place it couldn't prevent the cruel life he was to lead, and Sakura had to admit she had been part of it.

It was after a short period of time elapsed that Naruto wandered back towards the group with an obvious limp, the eyes of both Kakashi and Sakura locking upon him at the sudden decision to return to them, but both also slightly curious as to the new emotion dulling the normal brilliance of the azure eyes the shinobi was famous for.

"We should be getting back to Konoha- Sasuke needs to be seen by baa-chan."

The pair both quickly realised that Naruto had in fact neglected to state that he also would more than likely need to be checked over by Tsunade as well, however both didn't want to voice this thought aloud and merely gave a swift nod in response as he placed a limp Sasuke onto his back and began the short journey back to Konoha.

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**A/N:** Okay, okay, I _lied_, this wasn't all going to be resolved in this chapter as I couldn't fit it all into one without it being around the length I liked. And no, there isn't any pairings in this story (unless I feel like it later on) so don't get any ideas that it my be Sakura x Naruto or Sakura x Kakashi.

This time it will be resolved in the next chapter (promise!) and i'm sure on that because I already have it wrote on the computer, I just need to upload it. However for now you'll just be getting this chapter, and possibly the next one later tonight or tomorrow.

I'm also thinking of renaming this fic since the name I originally used doesn't really sound right anymore- have any suggestions?

Please review!

If you see any mistakes then please tell me so I can correct them- i'm not fantastic at the 'honourfics' game nor am I at getting them relevant to the anime/manga.


	6. Mortal Heroes

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto, his Kistune self belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, along with the _adorable_ Sasuke.**

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**"**Speech**"**

_'__Thought'_

_**"Kyuubi thoughts"**_

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Chapter 6: Mortal Heroes

Over the next few hours (_**A/N:**_ _Estimating, tell me if I'm wrong and I'll change it_) both Sakura and Kakashi began to get curious about the large amount of stops that occurred frequently along the way, watching the blonde with an interest as he stopped to set Sasuke aside and re-wrap his bandaged shoulder before picking up his comrade and setting off once more. The shinobi trailing in his wake put these periodic rests down to having to carry around the added weight of the newest arrival into the group, however when they offered to carry him, even if only for a little while to allow him to rest but were what they received in turn for their concerns was a resounding 'no' before a secondary gift of a burst of speed leaving them struggling to keep up.

It wasn't long until the looming gates of Konoha came into view of the group of returning shinobi, with luckily the welcoming party that had to stand guard by the entrance of the village happened to be members of the Rookie Nine from years back, the dog-lover Inuzaka Kiba and his towering furred friend Akamaru and the soft-spoken Hyuga Hinata. The two voices belonging to the Chuunin on guard were in conversation as the group led temporarily by Naruto appeared back at the hidden village, only glancing up at the new arrivals once Kakashi had tapped lightly upon the window to the office.

"Mind letting us through?"

The two Chuunin looked up surprised at the group, even more so at the particular individuals that were staring at them all looking rather confused. However before Hinata could even get her fingers pressed together at the sight of Naruto he took off at an amazing speed to what the others believed would be the hospital, leaving the reunion cut extremely short with Kakashi quickly on his heels leaving Sakura to the pleasantries.

"Sorry Hinata-chan, Kiba-kun, but I better go after them."

The purple-haired kunoichi gave a nod to Sakura as she heard her need to go after her team mates, but couldn't stop the sad smile forming upon her lips as she realised she didn't even get to say hello to Naruto before he left again.

"Tell Naruto-kun I said hello."

Sakura quickly replied with a 'Hai' before streaking off after the other two, leaving Kiba and Hinata once again to their rather boring guard duties. This was possible the most interesting thing to happen in a long time and both were equally downhearted that the meeting had ended so quickly, the male shinobi soon realising that his partner seemed to have become unmistakeably quiet. He placed his arm around her shoulder and gave her a light shake as if to try and 'shake' her out of the depressed state she had embraced, a large grin spreading on his face as she finally glanced up at him.

"Don't worry Hinata-chan, you can see Naruto later. It's not like we could leave now anyway, Shikamaru would kill us if we just left our guard duty."

Putting the small smile down to a victory in the 'cheer-up Hinata' game he released his grip and resumed his usual position lounging lazily upon the chair, feeding Akamaru various treats from behind the desk oblivious to the fact his female partner had left her post and was now standing in between the two gates gazing after Naruto, her hand resting lightly on her chest as she realised he was finally home to stay, no longer having to chase after Sasuke.

"Welcome home, Naruto-kun."

Naruto was only able to be caught by the clearly exhausted Kakashi and Sakura once he had grinded to a halt in the foyer of the hospital, trailing after him as he was directed into an empty hospital room to lay the Uchiha down before backing off into a corner to give the staff the necessary space to begin analysing the new patient. The pair that had finally caught up were given no time to speak to their concerns towards the blonde as Tsunade suddenly burst in the room with a meek Shizune following quickly in her footsteps, barking orders to everyone that wasn't either Shizune, Sakura or herself to get out of the room while she worked. Kakashi was surprised that his student didn't kick up an argument to stay, instead following him outside to the corridor where he placed a hand upon the shoulder which he assumed should have healed already by now to get the man to stop momentarily.

"Naruto you should be proud of yourself- you managed to bring Sasuke back to the village. Don't beat yourself up because of what you had to do."

If he hadn't of placed his hand while Naruto's back was turned he would have seen the grimace of pain expressed upon his face, knowing the true reason that his hand was quickly shrugged off the shoulder instead of believing it was yet again a question of space.

"I brought him home like I promised; now you and the entire village can be happy again."

'_Because I wasn't good enough to do it.'_

As Kakashi allowed his student to walk down the corridor of the hospital and out the doors he realised as he peered into the room containing the missing-nin that Tsunade was finished and was now calling him over. The feeling of the healing chakra mending what couldn't be done by her apprentice relieved him of any pain from the injuries he had incurred during his brief encounter with Sasuke, leaving nothing more but a premonition of how sore he was going to feel the morning after.

"Eh, Kakashi-san, where's Naruto-niisan?"

When the question was asked he instinctively looked down to the hand that had reached out in an attempt to comfort the requested male, only to find himself surprised at the scarlet stain painted across his fingertips and the material of his gloves. It wasn't even old blood from what he could tell, this blood was warm, fresh- meaning that the wound he thought would have been healed by the Kyuubi no Kitsune's chakra clearly hadn't been.

"He's gone…"

"WHAT!?"

Kakashi cringed at the sudden outburst, his eye glancing back at the current Hokage who had treated everyone in the hospital to the deafening cry, suddenly finding his feet no longer touching the floor and a hand clenched around his vest holding him in the air. The killing intent Tsunade was radiating into the room was almost suffocating her former and present apprentices but she was too consumed in her rage to care, once again barking orders at the jounin in her grasp but not in an authoritative manner- no, this was far from that.

"Where did he go? You better find him and bring him to me or I'll do a lot worse than just break your bones."

From the menacing tone Tsunade used to Kakashi not wanting to hear the details of his punishment if a failure occurred he quickly disappeared leaving behind a cloud of smoke, the Godaime's open grip soon clenching into a tight fist. Shizune knew from past experience that it wouldn't be a gift of a chocolate cake that Tsunade would give if the Jounin came back empty-handed- leading both herself and Sakura to exchange worried glances and pray that the copy-cat could locate the absent Naruto.

As time went on and still no sign of the blonde Kakashi began to get worried- not only for Naruto but also for his own safety, knowing that having a vengeful Hokage hot on his heels would not be a very good thing to have. Luckily enough however on his second scour of the village his uncovered sharingan eye (believing this was as good a time as any to use it considering the possible wrath of Tsunade) it directed his gaze to the vast Hokage monument overlooking Konoha and an out-of-place shadow upon the rock face of his former sensei, the Yondaime Hokage.

Upon arriving at the top he found Naruto resting upon the length of a spike of hair belonging to the fourth Hokage tribute, his face turned away to the other direction. He had concealed his presence up to this point so to not alert the him; wanting to avoid a chase if that was a given option.

"Naruto? Tsunade-sama is rather _anxious_ to see you."

After receiving no reply the concerned teacher stepped closer to the silent body of the blonde, once again placing his hand upon the male's shoulder and giving it a light shake. However he wasn't prepared for his student to then slide off the rock carving and being to fall at an alarming speed with no sign to show he was stopping, nor that he was conscious at the time. As a reaction Kakashi quickly gathered chakra to the soles of his feet and began to run parallel down the cliff face in an attempt to reach the falling shinobi, managing to catch him with a timed jump from the mountain only a few mere seconds before what would have been a nasty impact- that is if he was lucky it didn't kill him first.

After he had both his feet settled firmly upon the ground at the bottom of Hokage Mountain Kakashi laid the unconscious male upon the grass, grasping onto both of his shoulders and shaking them lightly, speaking his name repeatedly in an attempt to wake him up.

"Naruto! Naruto, answer me!"

As his efforts subsided and he took his hands away he found the same scarlet liquid dripping from his hand where he had rested it upon the body of Naruto, causing him to tear the worn orange material that the jinchuriki was famous for at the shoulder to find blood seeping through the bandages concealed behind the fabric and effectively onto his hand where he had rested it earlier. None of the wounds that the blonde had endured in order to return Sasuke to Konoha hadn't healed in the slightest- meaning that Kakashi's usual assumption that the Kyuubi would be going its usual regeneration trick was in fact wrong. It seemed that this time, Naruto really did need the help he usually didn't, not needing just space. He gave no more time to waste as he gathered the unconscious shinobi onto his back and returned to the hospital at the fastest pace he could muster, streaking through the halls of the hospital much to the staff's surprise as he re-entered the room containing a rather unhappy Tsunade who began to advance upon him almost immediately, her fists cracking as murderous glare began to form.

"So Kakashi… I see you have failed to bring Naruto ba-"

"Tsunade-sama!"

She was cut off by her former apprentice rushing to Kakashi's side and latching onto a wrist that seemed to appear from no where until the jounin turned on revealing Naruto to be resting upon his back, her rage instantly morphing into concern as Shizune reported her findings back to her, only to step back in shock as she clutched at her chest from the words spoken to her.

"Naruto-niisan's pulse is very weak! We have to help him or he'll die!"

'_He'll die…' _

Those were the two words that snapped Tsunade out of her trance and back into the present, instantly beginning to work on Naruto after he had been placed in the bed adjacent to Sasuke, her hands enveloped in a dense emerald haze as she pressed it against wound after wound in hopes of healing but soon finding it to be of little success. She then barked an order at Shizune who disappeared momentarily out of the room to bring back armfuls of bandages, cleansing products and even a stitching set that must have been imported from a village without shinobi. Luckily this was exactly what she needed at this time, especially with the odd circumstances she was in. As she first put in the needle into the blonde's shoulder Tsunade almost broke down in tears as Naruto suddenly awoke and screamed out in the pain, having to be restrained by both Kakashi and Shizune pushing down on his wrist and ankles as the medic-nin continued her work, the Hokage's face streaming with tears after her work had finished on his shoulder and had to begin stitching another wound upon his torso, this time the pain merely making the jinchuriki pass out once more as she kept up her routine of cleansing, stitching and bandaging until she was done, a pale Naruto looking like only a mere shadow of what he had once been.

With one final check to ensure his condition had stabilized the three medic-nins and Kakashi left to allow both Naruto and Sasuke to rest, the grim expression displayed upon Tsunade's face all the Jounin needed to send Sakura away, with Shizune receiving the same treatment soon after. Kakashi leant against the opposite wall of the corridor looking at the Godaime with a concerned expression on his face, his words entwined with a similar worry.

"The Kyuubi didn't heal him like it usually did, not even after a length of time which is unusual."

All he received as a reply was a downhearted sigh, noticing the Tsunade seemed to be avoiding his gaze before suddenly staring directly into his eyes, something that startled the man.

"My healing chakra didn't have any effect either- it was almost as if his body was repelling it. I...I don't understand it Kakashi. It was just lucky that one of the countries that lacked a shinobi village still practised in the old arts of medicine and sent over some supplies in gratitude to one of the missions, otherwise I don't think Naruto would have made it. Any longer and he would have been dead anyway."

Another silence followed as a sombre mood descended on the pair, both looking away unable to face the grim events that had unfolded only a few moments before. If they didn't have that stitching set nearby… Kakashi couldn't bear thinking about it.

"Thank you Kakashi. I didn't have the time to say it before but I don't know what I would do if he died-"

"I don't think many people would know what to do, Naruto has more people caring for him than he thought."

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**A/N:** Finally came to the end of the flashback in a flashback! Sorry I dragged it out for like four chapters but I found it interesting to write about so I couldn't really stop myself. Plus i'm rather morbid/sadistic- poor Naruto has gotten hurt again by my influentual hand. (hangs head)

By the way i'm pretty aware that for Naruto to start 'crying out in pain' because of his wounds being stitched is quite lame considering ninjas get stabbed by kunai and thrown into trees all the time- i'm just going to give he is in a more sensitive state now than before when Sasuke had his hand in his shoulder, since it must have been quite numbing to find the team mate you had always thought as your brother this time round not even show slightest hesitation in wiping you across the floor with the bottom of his shoe.

Reviews are welcomed with a hug, a cookie and a glass of warm milk, so don't hesitate in leaving your comments.

If anyone knows the actual honourfic that Shizune uses to Naruto I would love to know since I don't _think_ -niichan is the right one, I just remember seeing/hearing it somewhere and put that in. Anyway I already apologised for me being bad at the honourfic game so this is just a follow up to that :)


	7. Past and Present

**A/N:** I apologize already for the flashback in this chapter after I said I had finished with them- it's just that the story sort of needed it to explain the things that are to happen next.

Also this chapter was around double that of the usual length I write so I decided to split it into two chapters, the second of which I will post in the next few days because most of it is already written.

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"Present Speech"

'Present Thought'

"_Past speech"_

'_Past thoughts'_

"_**Past Kyuubi speech"**_

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Chapter 7: Past and Present

"Sakura, you're not supposed to use your strength against your own team mates."

During the time Kakashi had spent scolding the clearly guilty kunoichi he had managed to rummage within the pack to his side and produce one of the infamous books from the 'Icha-Icha' series, the product of the grand pervert himself, Jiraiya, the fact he was reading them making things quite bad in Sakura's argument, especially when all it did was tattoo 'pervert' over her teacher's forehead. She was sorely tempted to rip the book from his hands and force Sasuke next to her to burn it but decided against it after envisioning what might happen- she would probably be dead before she had even managed to make a small rip in a page. However even with this she didn't want to be made wrong and the unconscious Naruto she had dragged here effectively right in what he had labeled the lazy jounin, so hearing what her team mate said next was far from wanted.

"You know Sakura he is always reading those books that Jiraiya-san wrote…and we all know _he_ is the greatest pervert of them all…"

The fatal flaws of the Uchiha was made clear once he was found unprepared on two fronts; for one, he certainly wasn't ready to stand his ground to the deathly glare that the hot-headed female shot at him, already shrinking in his seat and wishing the coward's route of being unconscious on the floor instead of Naruto. His second error was the fact he didn't predetermine the fist that collided with his face, stumbling back from the blow to see a clearly irritated female while rubbing his cheek, already feeling a bruise beginning to form. Even after this his punishment had not yet finished for his voiced thoughts, the last gift being that of a cold glare that seemed to even make him feel it would be better dead than have to deal with this person, thankful that at that particular moment she was distracted by her previous victim waking up from her attack earlier.

At first Naruto struggled to open the eyes that wished to remain closed, only able to pry them apart before quickly shutting them again in reaction to the sudden burst of light, the azure orbs peering out once more after they had adjusted to his new surroundings. He slowly pushed himself into a seated position to find his teacher sitting quite happily upon the stump he had been placed- or dragged, as he found from the state of his clothes- receiving a rather joyful wave as he returned back to consciousness, his hand soon brushing the back of his head as he felt a stab of pain occur from that area, soon coming across a rather sore lump as his fingers passed across it. He was quite confused as to how he had ended up in the training grounds when he most certainly thought he was last in the hospital, soon glancing down at his exposed shoulder as he pushed the orange material aside noting only a faint scar from where his stitches had been.

'_Did the Kyuubi do this? I don't even remember…'_

"Hey dobe, you alright?"

As his eyes wearily drifted to the source of the voice he also passed a rather frustrated female with an obvious look of contempt for someone on her face which he assumed was for him since he was where her stare was directed, unable to stop himself cocking his head to one side just as a confused child would do, wondering what he could have done to anger her. Yet as he moved on from the kunoichi he found his gaze suddenly blurred by an ebony infused mass that seemed to be the reason he was being shook side to side, just able to make out a pair of black eyes boring into his own as he attempted to place the person to a name, only to reel back in horror, forcing himself as far away as he could only to be stopped by the lone stump behind him.

"Sa…Sasuke? GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Sasuke watched as he fell backwards scrambling around the obstacle blocking his path having fallen himself upon the grass from the blonde's sudden outburst, watching in a mixture of shock and confusion as his team mate gathered himself to his feet and sprinted to the other side of the training grounds before settling down in the shade of one of the larger oak trees, tucking his knees to his chest while expressing a fearful gaze. He didn't understand what might have caused such a reaction and in turn glanced at Sakura in hopes of an answer but only finding she was as in the dark as he was, knowing from the fact that she was mimicking his shock was a clear sign that she didn't know much either, her eyes saddening at the sight of their broken team mate, obviously regretting her punching him an hour before, thinking she had brought upon this change of state. In the end he resorted to his teacher sitting upon the infamous stump that participated in the bell test back when they were genin, noticing the concern filtering through the man's usually happy persona, something that he didn't get to see often.

"Eh Kakashi-sensei… what's up with Naruto?"

There was a tense silence before the jounin replied, obviously thinking during that time at which words were right to use in the current situation, not wanting to alarm any of his students, nor spark off something in the blonde that would make him run off.

"It seemed that Sakura's punch did a little more than just knock some sense into him- it seems it has also jogged a memory he had purposely forgotten for your sake."

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_Flashback – Back at Konoha Hospital_

_Over the next month after the successful retrieval of the missing-nin frequent visits were made by the Hokage to the hospital room containing the lone jinchuriki, the Uchiha having since left a few weeks prior to be looked after at home by her apprentice, Sakura. Her heart faltered each time she entered the sterile room to find no change just like the numerous days before, the cold melody of the heart monitor the only indication that the body laying silent in the bed was still alive, but still far from consciousness. Her hopes that he may suddenly rouse died slowly with each day that passed, knowing that not even her superior knowledge as the village's best medic-nin was not enough to know what was wrong with the man as he slept soundly through each day and night. Medically speaking Naruto was fine- all that was strange was the fact that he had yet to wake up, even with her at his side at most nights. She knew that she would only ever watch him dream during these times but felt uncaring for this notion, especially when the only times she had willingly dreamt she found herself listening to the flatline of the heart monitor and a seemingly dead Naruto, waking up with a start only to realize the even had not actually happened. Tsunade could only take so much of these feigned deaths so instead resorted to barely sleeping while the young kitsune remained to do so, faithfully gazing over the light rise and fall of his chest just like his mother would do if she were still alive._

"_Still no change, eh?"_

_At the sound of the new voice the addressed Hokage turned to see the infamous 'closet pervert' which Naruto had lovingly labeled, crouching upon the nearby tree that grew just outside of the hospital, the branch on which he was sitting having grown close to the room the unconscious blonde and herself was in. She shook her head somberly in reply, her gaze soon drifting from the fellow sannin back to the hospital bed, her heart wishing that he would look at her through those azure eyes she so dearly loved. _

_Without an invitation Jiraiya entered through the open window and seated himself upon the vacant bed adjacent to Tsunade, his own gaze soon wandering after the female's with a similar sorrowed expression at the sight of his fallen student. He knew that something had to be severely wrong for the best medic-nin Konoha had to offer not to diagnose; the fact that the person who had stumped this particular renowned individual was Naruto escalated the situation into a minor catastrophe._

"_There is nothing stopping him from waking up- by all means he should have been up and out of here at the latest a week after he was admitted. At first I thought it was just blood loss and chakra exhaustion, but I think he is doing this to himself. It's like he doesn't want to wake up."_

* * *

_Naruto's Mindscape_

"_**Kit are you ever going to answer these people? They're voices are driving me insane and from behind here I can't eat nor can I kill them to shut them up- I might have a chance if you hurry up and wake up though. And stop pacing brat! You're worse than those two old bags."**_

_As the named figure paused momentarily in their stride they turned to the pair of glaring eyes focusing upon them, merely standing there even under the killing intent the fox was emitting. He expressed no ounce of fear or contempt for the demon that lay behind both seal and iron, thinking about how to answer leaving the silence battling the heavy breathing of the Kyuubi without adding in his usual shuffling pace._

"_No I'm not, so deal with it."_

_The caged demon growled in annoyance at his answer, the glare soon amplifying once the water began to cut into his usual peaceful surrounding as it got kicked into the air as their pace once again resumed. Naruto either didn't care or enjoyed the Kyuubi's frustration as he continued to repeatedly walk the length of the room, stopping of his own accord as two familiar voices once again flooded into the space which both he and the fox now shared, frowning as he listened in on there conversation._

"_Tsunade, why would Naruto not want to wake up? Surely not because of that Uchiha kid- not after what he's done. Anyway I heard Naruto used his completed Rasengan upon Sasuke…it should have killed him if it connected."_

_Naruto's expression instantly darkened at the mention of his former comrade's name, a scowl appearing on his lips as his own contempt for the particular shinobi grew. The very last few words the frog-sannin spoke were drowned out with the fresh growl the Kyuubi emitted due to the resumed pacing but at a slower pace, not wanting to disturb the water too much so that he could still listen._

* * *

_Naruto's Hospital Room: Jiraiya and Tsunade's Conversation_

"_I don't know if he used it or not but I found when I examined Sasuke's body a number of different levels of bruising across his back, almost as if something had hit him repeatedly in succession. However the Futon: Rasen Shurikan I remember being told about ripped an Akatsuki member to pieces, so I don't see how it could have been used in this instance."_

_Jiraiya crossed his arms and frowned to indicated he was thinking, clearly remembering the detailed description of the attack from Kakashi when they arrived back at Konoha, not knowing whether to feel proud of his student being able to complete a technique that neither he, Kakashi nor the Yondaime could do or worried- worried at the raw power that was now at his fingertips and how easily it would be able to create utter chaos with such a jutsu. He just hoped that he wouldn't follow the same quest for power as the Uchiha had done._

"_By the sounds of it Naruto must have purposely not molded his chakra properly in order to blunt the edges of the chakra shurikan- even in the midst of battle it seems he doesn't want to hurt him, but all he gets for his consideration is the pain which he hoped would have gone away with Sasuke's return."_

_A few quiet moments passed between the two sannin whom Naruto considered his family as they gazed at the resting body almost lost amongst the various sheets and wires draped across him, the heart monitor that indicated the life was still in his veins the only thing preventing a silence from taking over. The female of the pair didn't notice the other walking to her side and placing a hand reassuringly on her shoulder; an obvious attempt in trying to reconcile the fretting Hokage._

"_Hey, Tsunade, how about we go get some sake? We haven't been out together for a long time."_

"_No, it's alright- I…I think I'm going to stay here for the night."_

_His comforting expression that went with the reassuring gesture instantly dropped to a frown as he heard the reply give, knowing full well Tsunade would usually never pass up the opportunity of an all expenses paid drink fest, and to do so to him was just unnatural. In the end he pulled the female from her usual chair/make-shift bed next to the unconscious patient and draped an arm around her shoulder as her legs became used to standing after a long time at rest, giving her a light shake in order to get her to look at him. He couldn't deny that he was shocked once she finally did, seeing that even with her youthful genjutsu in full flow at all times he noticed faint traces of age beginning to break through- obviously the stress of this was taking its toll._

"_Come on Tsunade, for old time's sake. Just one drink? I'll even escort you back here myself after."_

_He knew that as long as he managed to get her out of the hospital and get one drink down her throat it was pretty much guaranteed he could get her away for the night, especially when she could claim that what wouldn't even get a child drunk would her._

"_Fine- but only one alright? Then I'm free to leave as I wish."_

"_Hai! Hai! One drink, that's all I'm after."_

_Of course between the two sannin one drink led to another until soon a miniature Konoha began to form upon the bar they were drinking at, with the slug sannin just adding the Hokage tower with the bottle of sake she had just drained, taking great care to place it exactly in the right spot and to not upset the rest of the silent bottles. It was quite a feat for someone to do this let alone a person severely under alcohol's hand, but the fact her rather bodacious drinking buddy's elbow slammed into the sake gates and ended up triggering a 'domino effect' along the monument and soon destroyed It was a sight to see, especially when the creator of the creation slammed her fist without a second thought into the perpetrator's face and watched him sail through not only the wall of the building they were occupying but also the next, snorting at the ironic fact that he landed amongst a pile of women's lingerie, a trail of drool snaking from his lips. This was used as an excuse for the female to storm out ignoring the slightly fearful looks she received from her fellow drinkers as she passed, her feet stumbling over one another as she followed a zigzag path up to the hospital room which she had left a few hours before, her drunk eyes gazing over the room before realizing the room was completely silent._

_Neither a bird's call from the open window nor a beat from the heart monitor…_

'_Wait a minute…'_

_Stumbling over to the bed which should have been containing the jinchuriki was found to be empty after she ripped the covers clean off the bed, her comatose patient disappeared from sight. She gave no notice to the alcohol that was confusing her movements and snapped back to reality as the realization of the situation hit, instantly charging back to her office with no sign of her drunken stupor in sight as she ordered the two ANBU standing guard outside to assemble the other forces, threatening to go after any that refused and deal with them herself. The threat alone was enough to make any shinobi heed the Hokage's request with near 20 members of ANBU littered in front of her desk with Kakashi sitting with an unconscious Jiraiya to her side, the stern glare she used as she surveyed the group enough to make even these elite ninjas squirm._

"_Naruto has gone missing."_

* * *

**A/N: **Next chapter will be up as soon as possible- in the mean time reviews would be loved!


	8. Return to Reality

**Disclaimer: Naruto ish not mine- if it was it would be quite a morbid story. Lucky for all you happy people out there (insert smile here).**

* * *

_Flashback_

"_Flashback Speech"_

'_Flashback thought'_

"Present speech"

'Present Thought'

* * *

Chapter 8: Return to Reality

"_Hokage-sama, how is this possible? For Naruto to just get up and leave-"_

"_I know Kakashi; don't you think I'm worried as well? After all this time I never expected him to wake up again- I was beginning to lose hope. But then it happens, and I'm not there. Even though it is a worst-case scenario we still have to consider the possibility he didn't leave of his own free will; Akatsuki might have played a part in his disappearance."_

_At the combined effect of both the attempted hidden dread in the Hokage's voice to the mention of the heinous organisation that was Akatsuki the silver haired Jounin couldn't stop himself from curling his hand into a fist, his hand shaking erratically as he grew angrier with himself that he hadn't taken more care of Naruto. He couldn't even remember the last time he had visited the male in hospital- he was either occupied going on missions, training with Sasuke (if asked that was) or reading his infamous Icha-Icha books that Jiraiya routinely bequeathed to him. If it wasn't for the pleading tone of Tsunade he probably wouldn't have been able to move instantly to the window and jump out to join the rest of the search, the female left alone with her hand soon clawing away at her heart, almost as if she though it had gone missing with the blonde._

"_Please come back alright…"_

* * *

_As the hours dragged on into the early signs of the morning (for it had been night when it was realised that Naruto had gone missing) many of the ANBU were soon reflecting the deprivation of sleep due to being awoken to carry out the search, the added want of food soon added into the mix as the moans reached the ears of the self-proclaimed leader of the group, the individual soon sighing as he glanced around at his weary comrades knowing that they should be allowed a rest even with his own mind screaming them to carry on. He very well couldn't allow them to return to their homes to sleep so instead took them to the only restaurant that was open within the still sleeping village, soon forgetting his curiosity into this strange act as he pushed aside the curtains and stepped inside, only to be frozen in mid-step due to the sight he saw by both his normally uncovered eye and his sharingan._

_Naruto._

_He was happily munching away at a bowl filled to the brim with his favourite food, wolfing down the meals as each one was replaced as soon as it had been finished, the stack to his side soon amounting to at least eight or nine bowls. Kakashi didn't know what to say- after all this time of scouring the village in an attempt to find this particular person they had found him in the place which should have been searched first but had been dismissed, feeling rather pathetic at assuming the leader position now, especially since they had come across the male purely by coincidence; or rather by his comrades' constant hunger growls._

"_Naruto? Is that you?"_

"_Hn?"_

_A muffled voice distorted by the inhumanly large amount of noodles stuck in their mouth sounded out in reply to their name, revealing the smiling albeit slightly confused face of Naruto. Behind this smile stood Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku and his daughter, Ayame, both dressed in their pyjamas but clearly uncaring as they beamed at their favourite customer, dutifully tending to his every ramen wish despite the early hours. He soon gulped down the mouthful as his eyes widened at the realisation of who had spoken his name, however soon cocking his head to one side as he found them unmoving, knowing that the statue that was his teacher was still alive only by the faint rise and fall of his chest._

"_Kakashi-sensei? Are you alright? You seem a bit…"_

"_Huh?"_

_Kakashi was snapped back into reality from whatever dream state he had entered finally focusing upon his supposed target, finally mustering a shaking of his head in reply before numbly sitting beside his formerly missing student leaving the rest of his search patrol littered outside, knowing full well that despite their stomachs announcing they would soon eat themselves as punishment for not getting food it would be best to leave this certain conversation to the two currently residing in the restaurant. As he took the vacant seat he quickly found a steaming bowl of ramen pushed under his nose by a beaming Ayame, obviously in a state of pure happiness due to the return of Naruto and the return of his eating habits. He fingered the chopsticks in his hand as he thought about how to voice his words, not wanting to dampen the happy mood that Naruto was obviously enjoying._

"_Naruto, why aren't you at the hospital?"_

_The sudden question caused him to stop the noodle-laden chopsticks from entering his mouth, pondering for a few seconds about the question before finally issuing his answer, still embodying the happy spirit he had expressed since the Jounin had first came into the restaurant. _

"_Well, I woke up and felt hungry so I decided to get something to eat. Luckily for me old man Teuchi didn't mind opening up!"_

"_Time is no inconvenience when it comes to my most valued customer!"_

_Naruto exchanged a grin with Teuchi and his daughter before continuing with his meal, soon pushing aside the emptied bowl and patting his bulging stomach in content. However his keen sense of smell courtesy of the Kyuubi soon directed his attention to his teacher's bowl, finding it to untouched with the owner of said meal harbouring a rather serious look for him._

"_You should have at least told someone you were going out. After Sasuke came back you seemed a little-"_

"_Sasuke-kun's back?! Why didn't you tell me before?"_

_His sudden outburst of pure joy surprised Kakashi, knowing full well that Naruto was the one who carried him all the way back to Konoha to ensure his survival despite his own lingering on by a thread for the past month._

"_You have been unconscious for the past month- don't you remember what happened?"_

"_What…happened?"_

_His smile was quickly replaced with a frown as he began to trail through his memories trying to seek the one he was after, confusing himself to find a blank slate where the particular memory should have been._

"_I remember talking to Sasuke-kun back in the forest where we first found him and then chasing him to the Valley of the End. Then there was a bright flash and…and then I woke up in the hospital and came here. I don't remember anything else. Should there be?"_

_Kakashi gave a fleeting glance to the ANBU scattered just outside in the street before turning back to his student with a smile defined through his mask, shaking his head in reply even though he knew there was in fact much more the blonde had not recalled. After everything that had happened Naruto looked happy not knowing, and with the life he had lived he didn't want to ruin one of the only times he seemed truly happy._

"_Nope- nothing at all."_

* * *

Present: At the Training Grounds

Sasuke frowned at the Jounin's answer, unable to believe or decipher the man's meaning behind the answer. Could Naruto really have blocked out a whole memory because of him? He certainly wasn't pleased about being brought back to his home village but soon decided against leaving once more, realising that his purpose in life was to remain there, where his kidnapper claimed shelter. The Uchiha had soon come to find that after finally overcoming the barrier that was his brother than a larger one stood behind- the loud-mouthed hyperactive jinchuriki, Naruto. He now had to become stronger in order to overcome the team mate he had so frequently denied as his rival, only soon to realise he had been surpassed in power long ago. However this couldn't be accomplished with his opponent distant from him with fear encompassed in his eyes, a fear that wasn't one for one's own survival but held for another's. A fear that something would happen to him.

In any case whether it was from curiosity or concerns his mind was fixed upon figuring out what was plaguing the blonde and what kept him so persistent in wanting him to stay away. He didn't think it could have something to do with the inevitable fight back at the Valley of the End due to the fact he had been chased by this character for some time now and didn't believe that anything he could have done- even if he now partially regretted it- could have instilled this fear into the Kyuubi-container. However while these thoughts bounced around in his mind he left no time to waste as he almost instantly appeared upon the other side of the training grounds having used his advanced speed to deceive the man and pin him down, counteracting his frantic escape attempts with whatever strength he could muster, soon succeeding in forcing the wrists of the male above his head and calming the kicking legs with his weight resting upon them.

"What are you doing, dobe?"

His words were greeted with a refuelled escape as the blonde underneath him began to once again thrash around in an attempt to get away, the fear in his eyes building as Naruto realised that he was holding him firmly against the ground and didn't appear to want to let go anytime soon. He used every bit of strength he had in order to make his human restraints let go; only causing Sasuke to press down harder in order to quell these fresh attempts. However as the man underneath him suddenly grew still he began to feel a strange heat radiating from under his palms where they held down their wrists, the burning sensation that he soon began to feel upon is skin enough to distract him for the Kitsune to suddenly buck the Uchiha to the ground and scramble a few paces away before suddenly freezing in his tracks and collapsing to his knees in the process.

"Naruto- are you alright?"

Sasuke tenderly placed his hand upon the blonde's back only to snatch it away from the sudden flare of heat erupting from his contact, backing away slowly as he felt Naruto's chakra spike, the first signs of the Kyuubi's scarlet tendrils creeping from the male's body. He had only just rejoined the equally shocked Sakura and Kakashi as the jinchuriki finally regained his standing position and turned to them with a demonic grin bared, his most powerful technique rotating dangerously in his hand- his fabled wind shurikan, a move only seen by those who are soon to die by it. However even with this demonic expression leering at them was not the same as the voice that came brushing past the elongated canines resting over his lip; the words were entwined with fear, but not a fear for himself but rather a fear for the people standing opposite him.

"Sasuke…I can't stop him. Please, take Sakura and Kakashi-sensei and go- I don't want you to get hurt."

A contrasting pair of tears began to flow from the iconic blood-lusting eyes of the demon as his legs suddenly reared into action and charged towards the Uchiha, his tears currently the only thing other than his words under his own control and not that of the fox's.

"Sasuke…"

It was only a few seconds before the attack would connect with the rest of his team but none of them had moved- each stunned by the scene of friend and foe in front of them. Out of three though the most shock laid in Sasuke, not able to even utter a single noise as time slid slowly by, the completed rasengan quickly advanced and made contact. However the blood that soon coated his chest and partly his face was found not to be his own as he brought the back of his hand across his cheek, but to be the warm, scarlet liquid belonging to Naruto.

At the last moment the blonde had manage to exert enough will to regain control of the arm containing the destructive jutsu and turn it home, the chakra attack instead penetrating his own chest instead of that of his friends'. The sheer force of the technique sent the mini-kitsune flying from his feet and into the tree with a sickening crunch- the obvious sound of multiple bones in his body breaking upon impact. He mimicked the same look of shock that Sasuke held as he looked down upon the liquid seeping through the fingers in his chest, soon producing a weak smile as he rested his free hand upon the one stained with his own blood, looking almost as if he were in prayer, his head bowed as if he were seeking forgiveness from his peers.

"I'm sorry…"

Those few words were all he were able to muster before a hacking cough developed and blood spluttered from his mouth with each, his breathing soon becoming laboured as his damaged lungs found it harder to acquire the oxygen his body so sorely needed. He lifted his head weakly as he noticed the medic-nin of the team appear at his side, her cheeks coated within a blanket of her tears as she moved the emerald-tinted chakra over the man's body as she tried to find the extent of the damage caused to his body. Fresh tears flowed as the realisation of how badly wounded the man is hit- glancing back at her team mate as she gazed around frantically for their teacher, not knowing where he had suddenly disappeared. Her cries echoed within the grounds as she screamed her next words at Sasuke, each syllable weighted with multiple concerns towards the blonde.

"SASUKE! HE NEEDS HELP! SASUKE!!"

His name being screamed at him must have been the answer in order to snap the ebony-haired man from his state of shock staring at the injured blonde, forcing his forgotten legs to move over to where his comrade had landed, his gaze swimming in and out of focus as he neared and realised the true nature of his sacrifice. The orange jumpsuit the container was famous for had now became a deep scarlet due to the blood pouring out of his wound, the material now stained far from recognition. His hair seemed to hang limply to the sides of his face no longer the bouncing spikes they once were, the brilliance of his azure eyes dulled down to nothing more than a shadow of what they used to be as the rolled to the side to gaze at the Uchiha opposite to the kunoichi to his left, the same words soon tumbling past his lips directed to the male.

"I'm sorry…the Kyuubi…he…I felt it, he wanted to k-"

He was unable to finish his sentence as the reoccurring cough appeared again, his whole body shaking from the force of each exhalation as his face screwed up from the pain from the involuntary action his body took. He felt the comforting hands of Sasuke placed upon his shoulders to keep him upright as he violently shook with each cough only to soon fall limp in the man's arms, his will unable to beat his body's want to succumb finally to sleep.

The unconscious body of Naruto was soon laid gently upon the floor of when which both Sasuke and Sakura exchanged fearful looks as the medic-nin felt the man's pulse become suddenly erratic under her hand, his breathing soon following suit as the deprivation of oxygen was soon becoming an urgent matter. However they weren't allowed to think about this for long as a voice broke the silence currently resting around the training grounds enveloping the three ninja, both conscious shinobi distracted momentarily in their concerns to see if Kakashi had finally returned with a medic team and hopefully Tsunade, only to find it was not who they thought.

"Well, well, looks like we won't be up for a fight after all- the jinchuriki seems to have taken himself out for us."

* * *

**A/N:** So the time has finally switched back into the present (well, the time I had chosen to set the flashbacks before the funeral around) so other than small ones (literally one paragraph thought flashbacks) it should stay in this timeframe up until the story ends.

I apologise now for the quite random amnesia stunt I pulled with Naruto following his incident but I thought it would make things easier between the bond of him and Sasuke as no 'bad blood' would be between them because it had been forgotten- including the event between the Kyuubi and Naruto in the beginning of the fight at the Valley of the End.

Plus to clear things up a bit in this chapter Naruto momentarily lost control to the fox because of two reasons- one he remembered what had happened and then secondly he realised the words the Kyuubi had said regarding Sasuke-

* * *

_Chapter 3:Past Memories _

_**"**__**Don't call on me next time when you find yourself with him, otherwise i'll kill him, regardless if he is your friend or not."**_

* * *

so in turn 're-awakened' this in the fox thus making him want to get rid of Sasuke, what he had promised back at the Valley of the End.

A bit confusing but I hope you like it.

Plus you can always ask me questions in your reviews- plus reviewers get free candy, so it's a win-win situation.

(And no, if you ask who the person is at the very end of the chapter then I'll just reply with a _'Wait until the next chapter is up', _so just wait guys)


	9. A Stolen Kitsune

Chapter 9: A Stolen Kistune

As the voice rang out the two ninjas minding the unconscious blonde found themselves gazing upon a figure almost lost within the shadows that encompassed them, the unknown character staring down upon the scene below them from their view from the tree overhead. It was only when they dropped soundlessly to the ground that they recognised this person, their identity given away from the black cloak curling around their body, patterned with scarlet clouds, the same colour as the blood coating their friend.

Akatsuki.

"Don't you DARE go near him!"

The enraged command came courtesy of the Uchiha, his sharingan soon spinning in warning within his eyes as he glared at the advancing newcomer. However this didn't seem to faze the Akatsuki member, in fact it seemed to amuse them, a cold laugh soon echoing in the grounds just as Sakura's screams had only a few minutes before his arrival.

"How cute- little Sasuke wants to play the staring game. Too bad I don't have time for it today."

A quick gesture with his hand was all the warning the he got before being swept up into the arms of another member belonging to the organisation and held tightly while his team mate lay unconscious upon the ground after being on the receiving end of the inhumanly large spiked sword, the flat edge of the blade slamming into the side of her head and knocking her effortlessly to the ground. It wasn't long until Sasuke began to feel oddly drained, his body becoming weak in the man's tight grip despite the fact he had no injuries- not until his gaze fell across the weapon hovering dangerously close to his cheek, the spiked edge just casually grazing across his skin to draw just the smallest amount of blood.

"I see you haven't met Sameheda before. You haven't noticed but it has been slowly absorbing your chakra- if I wasn't holding you up you wouldn't be standing."

He began to drag the sword deeper into the Uchiha's skin as a smirk appeared in response to the shinobi's obvious discomfort, stopping only once his fun was interrupted, his eyes wandering over to his partner as they spoke.

"That's enough, Kisame. We have to being the ritual- leave the boy and get the Kyuubi."

Kisame's smirk was instantly replaced with a scowl as he let go of Sasuke allowing him to fall in a heap upon the ground, annoyed at the fact he could no longer toy with his new 'friend'. He did have quite a lot of dislike for his new partner but not as much as his towering contempt for the person currently trying to haul themselves to their feet, instead deciding to show this by purposely kicking them back to the floor as he stepped over them to the Kyuubi-container, picking up the seemingly lifeless Naruto and tossing him carelessly over his shoulder alongside the serrated blade that was Sameheda. He did confess a look of surprise when he heard a faint spluttering sound behind him, glancing back only to find the ebony-haired man staggering to his feet, not as easy to dispense as he first thought. However this time he did not heed his partner's command as he instantly grabbed his man-sized sword and sliced the air in front of him, dispelling the chakra he had stolen from within the metal into one single blast, knocking Sasuke clean off his feet and into the air, landing heavily upon the ground coming to a stop just beside the medic-nin, his eyes only barely open gazing uselessly as he watched the two members quickly disappear taking Naruto with them.

"Naruto…I'm sorry…"

His words trailed limply from his lips as he fought to stay awake, his lungs only just able to keep up the tedious process of breathing even with his near-empty chakra supply. He tried to move but found his body overriding his will and instead laying motionless amongst the grass, his eyes falling across the blood stained patch of grass where his team mate had been residing earlier. A small tear escaped as he realised he wasn't able to protect him as Naruto had done countless times before; not only for him but for others as well- even when his actions were not heeded and the harsh treatment the villagers gave continued. He still managed to smile where there was only pain, the azure eyes of the man the last thing he saw before he finally agreed to rest.

"I'm sorry…"

* * *

When he opened his eyes once again he reacted to the sunlight streaming onto his face by closing them sharply, peering out at his surroundings through a thin crack until slowly opening them once more as they became accustomed to the light. What Sasuke saw was certainly not what he remembered; he found his chest had been wrapped tightly in bandages and then covered with a white sheet as he sat up, the walls of the same colour as the material announcing to him that he must be within the hospital. He pressed his palm to his forehead as he felt a sudden surge of pain flash through his chest as he moved; an obvious protest from his body for interrupting its rest. However as he scowled as the unwanted sensation persisted the door to his left opened and a male bearing a mess of silver hair entered, instantly receiving his attention as he spoke.

"Finally awake are we?"

'_**Finally**__ awake? How long have I been asleep?'_

While his thoughts laid concern for himself the answer he responded with didn't- obviously a question the man had been expecting but obviously not so quickly.

"Kakashi-sensei- where is Naruto?"

Sasuke didn't need a reply to know what the answer was, Kakashi's sombre expression all he needed to confirm the thought he had hoped wasn't true.

Akatsuki had finally got Naruto.

"How long?"

"A few hours- ANBU teams have since been dispatched to go after Naruto. I came back with a medic team only to find you and Sakura unconscious and Naruto missing. We will get him back, don't worr-"

"They won't find him."

The interruption was spoken in an almost already defeated voice, bringing surprise to Kakashi as he watched Sasuke push back the covers and drop his feet to the floor almost collapsing before he managing to regain his balance in time, soon stepping slowly to the window nearby and pushing it fully open allowing a fresh breeze to filter into the room. It was only when he saw his leg hook over the bottom of the window when he realised his intentions, pulling back the injured man's arm forcing him backwards away from his exit.

"Where do you think you are going? You are no use to Naruto in your current state."

Sasuke instantly scowled at the man who was the reason for stopping him from leaving, snatching his arm away as he proceeded to make another attempt for the window only to find his teacher standing in front of his exit, obviously in no reason to move.

"You can't stop me from going after him Kakashi."

Kakashi gave some thought into his reply before touching the forehead of his student lightly, his hand having been enveloped in an emerald haze. He instinctively caught the male as he suddenly slumped, carrying him in his arms where he laid him back onto the hospital bed, his single eye drooping at the sight. He knew even without being told about Akatsuki's disappearance with Naruto in tow, having witnessed the event just as he returned. Along with this his uncovered sharingan able to pick up the last apologies of Sasuke, knowing that if he had stayed things might have turned out differently.

"I should have been there. I'm sorry."

Kakashi didn't even realise the arrival of Shizune until she lightly pressed her hand onto his shoulder causing him to turn around, his sorrowed expression meeting the concerns of the medic-nin.

"Is it true?"

The simple nod he gave was all that was needed to make the female instantly lose her calm demeanour and adopt a more frantic persona, her arms soon embracing herself as she began to claw at her arms in worry. Kakashi couldn't hide the slight amusement as he watched Shizune break down in front of him, the irony that in this world where Naruto thought there was no one who cared for him was in fact the complete opposite- there were many who did, with himself, Sasuke and Shizune just as a few examples.

"Shizune- did you come in here for something?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Kakashi-san. I just came in to check on Sasuke."

She instantly dropped her arms to her side allowing Kakashi to see the raw skin trails she had created with her nails as she passed to the unconscious male's bedside, soon hovering the chakra haze encompassing her hand across their body, examining their condition. She soon stepped back with a smile on her face in response to the serious look she was given, picking up the medical chart at the end of the bed and noting a few things down before speaking.

"He's fine- he recovered quicker than I expected, not many people would be able to do that after such a short length of time, especially when he was suffering from severe chakra exhaustion. Looks like his body is reacting to his determination- sped up his recovery. One thing is odd however- I could have sworn I heard his voice as I was walking up. Did something happen before I arrived?"

At that question Kakashi nervously ran his hand through the back of his hair as he professed an anxious smile from underneath his mask, his gaze quickly directed to everywhere else apart from the medic-nin who had sparked off this reaction.

"Well…"

"Don't worry about it Kakashi-san; it's good you did. Even though he is perfectly fine I don't think it would have been a good idea to let him case after them by himself."

Replacing the chart at the end of the bed after scribbling down a few extra words Shizune crossed to the open doorway just pausing before leaving, turning back to the silver-haired Jounin and watching him as his gaze had once again trailed to the bed containing Sasuke, leaving it a few moments before speaking up again.

"Tsunade-sama said Sasuke and Sakura would be fine to be discharged as soon as they woke up. Just don't tell anyone- it's against regulation to allow cases such as these to leave the day they are admitted but in this event Tsunade-sama has turned her back, so as long as you don't say anything it will be fine."

She didn't need to see the face under the mask to know that he was smiling at her words, quietly leaving the room and returning to her duties on other parts of the hospital.

'_Good Luck Kakashi. Bring him home safe.'_

* * *

A few hours passed and a single ninja team stood staring out into the forest that surrounded the small village, knowing that somewhere past that was their target and the kidnapped shinobi they all knew was in grave danger if they didn't make it in time. In the place where Naruto usually stood was an ANBU member that Sakura and Kakashi had worked with before, the very person who famously held the 'Scary Face' jutsu, a technique which Sasuke (luckily) had never encountered before.

"Kakashi-senpei, Hokage-sama has found out from Jiraiya-san's findings that their base is around three hours west of our current position and that ANBU teams were dispatched well over four hours ago and should have already surveyed the perimeter of their base. They are waiting for our arrival before making a move."

Kakashi gave a quick nod before taking one final glance around the vicinity before speaking those few words that he knew both Sakura and Sasuke were straining to hear- the words that would officially start their mission to track down their lost Kitsune.

"Let's head out."

* * *

As time wore on and the four shinobi streaking through the forest surrounding Konoha at top speed began to tire it wasn't long until they grinded to a halt in a clearing around two hours into the trip, despite the constant shouts of the Uchiha pacing in the background demanding that they resumed travelling. In fact it didn't take long for Kakashi to give one of those 'you-know-what-to-do' looks to Yamato and finally relish in the silence that ensued a few seconds later, a result of the unique Mokuton abilities the ANBU member possessed and the thick branches that had suddenly sprung around Sasuke effectively cocooning him, creating a soundproof barrier so that his shouts were only heard by himself.

"He is no good to Naruto if he is falling over at the first instance- I told him that back at the hospital."

Kakashi allowed a few minutes to pass in which he was sure his student was attempting pretty much everything to get out of his wooden cocoon save for one thing- one thing he hoped he wouldn't use out of common sense. He soon gathered himself to his feet and tapped lightly upon the exterior of Yamato's trap, a crack soon emerging from in between the branches courtesy of the Mokuton user allowing him to peer down at the Uchiha, slightly amused as he saw him hunched over in one corner of his 'prison'.

"Calm enough now? I'll tell Yamato to let you out if you-"

His words were quickly diminished by the roar of the static chakra echoing within the makeshift cell, the noise giving him enough warning to leap back a short distance before Sasuke came hurtling through the side of the cocoon, the familiar signs of Chidori soon dissipating from his palm. He seemed to be quite proud of himself until he received a slap on the back of his head courtesy of Kakashi, the mixed emotions of confusion and anger meeting the serious expression of the Jounin.

"Are you done? You should have conserved your chakra for what's up ahead- you are no use to use if you are on the floor because of your own stupidity! Naruto's life may have depended on you using Chidori just one more time."

It was unlike Kakashi to act in such a manner but when Naruto was concerned this sudden change of character happened often, especially with the increasingly alarming amount of times the Kitsune seemed to find himself in trouble. He knew he had struck a chord with the Uchiha as he saw pride suddenly darken, obviously realising the waste he had just caused.

'_First Sasuke, now Akatsuki…what's next?'_

"Come on, we better head off again, we are only around an hour from the base so keep your guard up."

He and Yamato had managed to leap a short distance from the clearing before realizing two of his students were no longer producing the same movement by his side, soon doubling back to stand upon a branch overlooking the two left-behinds.

"Sakura, we're not far now but we have to hurry. Naruto's life may be at stake every second we waste!"

Since reasoning didn't seem to work the ebony-haired Uchiha resorted to grabbing onto the silent kunoichi's arm and dragging her towards the tree where the two awaiting Jounin stood, looking back in surprise as he felt the arm be wrenched out of his grasp and the lost expression expressed upon the female's face as it trailed after a stream of orange petals floating above them, transfixed by the spectacle. Her only movement made was the hand that outstretched to catch the single petal that broke away from the rest, gazing down upon it as if she were analysing every minute detail before voicing her findings.

"We are going the wrong way. Jiraiya-san probably did find their active base but they have moved on since. Their current base is that way."

The hand allowing the flower to rest upon their palm suddenly curled around the petal and pointed in the direction of the others, indicating a route amongst the trees to the west and not one of the north which they had been currently following.

"Sakura come on! This isn't the time, we have to-"

His words were stopped abruptly as the pink haired female disappeared from his side and went streaking after the petals in belief that they led to the fabled base where Akatsuki now resided within, his heart torn in two as he wondered which route he should take.

Should he abandon the entranced Sakura and go after Naruto with a route he now doubted?

Or should he trail after the kunoichi like he knew Naruto would have done?

'_Damn Sakura…'_

He soon disappeared in Sakura's wake leaving the two Jounin to exchange bemused expressions before taking off after the two absent ninja, clearly flustered at their sudden change in direction. They both knew however they couldn't very well allow both Sakura and Sasuke to enter any danger if they did happen to be right and encounter the Akatsuki- they couldn't exactly leave that to chance so they each formed a quick recession of seals creating a pair of doppelgangers for the pair, a shadow and wood clone respectively. Both the real Yamato and Kakashi sped off after the two that had since left, instead instructing their clones to uptake the route which they would have followed had this mishap not happened. Luckily however it didn't take them long to finally catch up, finding them both standing still, wincing as a shrill cry shredded the silence.

"Kakashi-sensei…that was Naruto wasn't it?"

A silence passed as he knew that both of his students' eyes were fixated upon him, knowing that whether he lied or told the truth it would still heighten their fears of the Kitsune's possible death.

"I don't know…"

'_Please don't let my assumptions be true… Your friends can't live without you Naruto- Konoha can't live without you. _

_I just hope we aren't too late."_

* * *

**A/N:**** This is a semi-filler chapter but I had to get the actually journey/repercussions out of the way. I apologise for the long wait as well- a load of problems arose at home plus a mountain of school work so I didn't find the time to add the finishing touches to this chapter.**

**Anyway read and review!**

**I'll try to be quicker with the next chapter ;)**


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